Electrical discharge illuminated sign



Inventor W fl. McCo/nzs.

Filed March 11, 1951 W. A. M COMBS ET AL ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE ILLUMINATED SIGN Sept. 27, 1932.

A Home y Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT orrice WILLIAM A. MCCOMIBS, 01 NEW YORK, AN D HENRY C. OI BROOKLYN, NEW YORK ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE ILLUMINATED SIGN Application fled larch 11, 1881. Serial No. 521,849.

This invention relates to' im rovements in electrical dischar e illuminatmg signs and has particular r e erence to electrical receptacles for interchangeably receiving difl'erent sign characters.

The primary object of the invention resides in a supporting panel having equi-distantly spaced receptacles thereon which are common to all of the electrodes of different luminous m tube sign characters to enable the sign characters to be interchanged upon the panel without requiring the adjustment of the receptacles to receive the same.

Another object is to provide an electric dis- 115 charge sign which facilitates the easy and quick interchanging of the sign characters durin the changing of the display.

A Further ob ect of the invention is the provision of an electric discharge sign in 20 which the electrodes of the sign characters extend therefrom in a manner to be received in any one of a plurality of equi-distantly spaced receptacles, that is, any sign character may be electrically connected by association with any receptacle in the formation of a lVith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the certain novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail horizontal sectional view on the line2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the supporting panel and illustrating the manher in which the receptacles are wired for use in a 110 volt circuit.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, the numeral 10 designates a supporting panel, on one side of which are arranged equi-distantly spaced pairs of receptil tacles 11, and in Figure l of the drawing,-

one of the receptacles of one pair is electrically connected to one of the receptacles of the next adjacent pair by a wire 12, while so the opposite end receptacles are connected by wires of a high voltage circuit. In a high voltage circuit where a transformer is used, the receptacles are connected in series while in a 110 volt circuit, the receptacles of each pair are respectively connected to busbars or other conductors l3 and 14 which extend along the length of the'supporting panel 10 at the rear thereof and as best seen in Figure 3 of the drawing.

Each of the receptacles 11 comprises an elongated body 15 having outwardly extending flanges 16 which fit against the front of the panel 10 and through which flanges and panel securing elements 17 pass for fixedly connecting the receptacle in position. v Re- ,ceptacles are disposed transversely of the panel 10, or in a vertical position as shown. The front of eachbody 15 is provided with an elongated slot. 18 extending the length thereof in which is mounted an electrical spring contact 19, which extends the length of the slot 18. The spring contact 19 includes a pair of expansible resilient jaws 20 which flare outwardly to provide a mouth for the introduction of a coacting contact member which will presently be described.

Associated with the receptacles carried by the panel 10, are electric discharge sign characters 21,'each of which comprises a flat rectangular shaped body 22. Mounted on the front side of each of the bodies 22 is an electric discharge tube 23, which tube is of a shape to form a particular letter, numeral, or the like. The terminal ends of each tube 23 extend rearwardly as at 24 and connect with housings 25 of insulating material which are mounted on the rear of the body 22. Electrodes 26 extend from the housings 25 and are electrically connected with the ends of the discharge tube by resilient springs 27, which springs serve to provide a flexible connection between the electrodes 26 and the terminal ends of the discharge tube. The discharge tube 23 of each character is of the same height, while the receptacles 11 are of a length approximating the height of these characters for a reason now to be explained. It will be understood that the terminal ends 24 of one particular character may extend rearwardly on a horizontal plane different from the terheight of said discharge tube,

minal ends of another character. stance, in the letter A shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, the terminal ends 24 extend rearwardly on the same horizontal plane whereas the sign character S, the electrode at the top height of the discharge tube, but these elec-- trodes extend on the same plane on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the body 22 so as to be common to all of the receptacles 11. This permits of the interchanging of the sign characters with respect to the pans of receptacles without the necessity of adjusting the receptacles or the terminal electrodes of the si n characters.

ereinbefore we mentioned that the terminal electrodes 26 were loosely connected to the ends of the discharge tube and this facilitates of the easy insertion of theplugs or electrodes between the jaws 20 of the spring contacts 19. While we have shown and described what we deem to be the most desirable embodiment of our invention, we wish it to be understood that various changes in construction may be resorted to if desired without in any way departing from the spirit of our invention, and

we do not limit ourselves to anything less than the whole of the invention as comes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an electric discharge sign, a plurality of evenly spaced pairs of vertically elongated receptacles, electric discharge sign characters, each sign. character having its two electrodes extending therefrom and spaced apart for a distance at least equal to the distance between the receptacles of each pair, the receptacles being of a length substantially equal to the height of said sign characters, whereby the electrodes of said sign characters are receivable in any of said airs of elon ated receptacles along the engths thereo 2. In an electric discharge sign, a supporting panel, pairs of evenly spaced vertically elongated contact members carried by said panel, a plurality of sign characters, each sign character including a body and a discharge tube mounted on said body and forming a character, the pairs of contact members being of a length approximating the and a pair of electrodes extending beyond the rear of said body and spaced apart for a distance equal to the distance between the spaced contact members of each pair for engagement with any of said pairs of spaced contact members along the lengths thereof.

3. In an electric discharge sign, a support- For ining panel, pairs of spaced elongated contact members carried by said panel, a plurality of sign characters, each sign character including a body and a discharge tube mounted on said body and forming a character, the pairs of contact members being of a length approximating the height of said'dischar e tube, and a pair of electrodes extending beyond the rear of said body for engagement with any of said pairs of spaced contact members, the said pairs of electrodes of the respective sign characters being disposed on the same plane on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the bodies thereof, but at difierent planes transversely thereof. t In testimony whereof we afiix our signaures.

WILLIAM A. MoCOMBS. HENRY C. PARKE. 

